Each summer, more than 75 first-year Suffolk Law students work alongside judges in courthouses in federal and state court, primarily in Massachusetts, through Suffolk Law's First-Year Summer Internship Program (FYSIP-Judicial).
Applications for first-year day and second-year evening students are available in early January. Students can look for details on Symplicity or contact Sarah Solomon, Associate Director for Judicial and Private Practice Advising.
One of the driving forces behind the success of the program is the eagerness of area judges to be involved. It helps that Suffolk Law has so many graduates who are active judges—140 in Massachusetts and more than 220 total across the country, as of 2013.
Jessica Gonzalez JD'16 interned for Brookline District Court Judge Mary Dacey White JD'78 during the summer of 2014.
“It's pretty amazing to witness different trials, see the lawyers in action and their different styles. You really learn what you should do in court and what not to do,” Gonzalez says. “Sometimes the cases can be very intense. We see how the judge deals with it, and afterward she talks with us about how she’s going to rule.”
In one case, Gonzalez and her fellow clerks watched closing arguments, then helped write the decision.
“The most exciting part is being part of the court,” she says.
Invaluable Experience
Nick Kennedy, JD '25, interned for Judge Michael Patten, JD '99, in Massachusetts State District Court.
"I cannot speak highly enough about my FYSIP experience and would recommend it to every first year student. The ability to be around and learn from so many great legal minds was invaluable to my personal and professional development."
Kennedy noted that the program is a segue into real-world lawyering: "You are able to see lawyers in practice and apply first-year concepts in a real world setting. All of the judges and clerks are very helpful, responsive to questions, and care about your development as a lawyer."
Help Support First-Year Judicial Internships
Suffolk's first-year judicial internships are unpaid, which makes it difficult for some students to afford to pay for their studies and participate in the program.
In response, Suffolk created the FYSIP Fund to provide a modest stipend to first-year Suffolk Law judicial interns. To help support a first-year Suffolk Law student in an unpaid judicial internship, donate online, select "Other," and type in "FYSIP Fund."
"This is something everyone should do their first year. You see law, and lawyers, in practice."